


Ordinary Days with You

by RainyDays (SunsetHours), SunsetHours



Series: Always Together: A Ren and Sumire Romance [2]
Category: Persona 5, Persona 5 Royal, Persona Series
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Post-Canon, Romance, Sequel to 'Joker on Ice', Slice of Life, Sweet, Wholesome, married
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:29:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25199290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunsetHours/pseuds/RainyDays, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunsetHours/pseuds/SunsetHours
Summary: *SPOILERS FOR PERSONA 5: ROYAL*Sequel to 'Joker on Ice'Ren and Yoshizawa find themselves married and with a kid 5 years after the events of 'Joker on Ice'! Follow their story which features wholesome fluff moments of their daily lives now that they are married. Featuring the rest of the Phantom Thieves as they assist the married couple with the joys and pains of becoming parents. This is a story of family, friends, love and growing up!
Relationships: Amamiya Ren & Yoshizawa Sumire | Yoshizawa Kasumi, Amamiya Ren/Yoshizawa Kasumi, Kurusu Akira & Yoshizawa Sumire | Yoshizawa Kasumi, Persona 5 Protagonist & Yoshizawa Sumire | Yoshizawa Kasumi
Series: Always Together: A Ren and Sumire Romance [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1825528
Comments: 52
Kudos: 105





	1. Prologue - An Ordinary day for a Wedding Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all, as promised, this is my sequel to 'Joker on ice' ! For those that haven't read the previous story please feel free to do so! It's got lots more wholesome fluff moments between Sumire and Ren.  
> I want to thank you all for being patient and please enjoy this new story about family, married love and raising a kid!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, this is prologue part 1 of 2 of Sumire's and Ren's wedding, please enjoy!
> 
> Listening to 'Last Summer Whisper by Anri' is a great way to enjoy this chapter ;)
> 
> The song used for the ceremony 'Pachelbel in D' is also really great!

Ren Amamiya was usually not the nervous type.

His friends would probably agree, to them he was their confident leader, who had guided them through fights and more.

Though unbeknownst to most of them, Ren Amamiya could actually feel nervous.

There have been a couple of times in his life when he had felt it and he could actually count them on his fingers.

The first, being the time he moved to Tokyo after receiving that court sentence that had changed his life forever. Moving to a new city by yourself would be an anxious experience for anyone really and for Ren it was like being told his life was now somewhere else. Though thanks for Sojiro’s gruff kindness and meeting the rest of the phantom thieves, life in the big city had really grown on him.

The second time Ren had felt that creeping sense of nervousness was during the night of the Casino heist. All their careful planning had led up to this moment, and Ren still had doubts when he was arrested by the police after purposely letting himself get ‘caught’ and letting the rest of the thieves use his capture to escape safely. 

There were other moments in his life that he could recall that brought forth the same feeling of bone shaking worry.

The Yaldabaoth fight still brought him deep bone shaking shivers every now and then. To think he and his friends had stood up to a figure of terrifying god-like power and won.

Similarly, the battle with his therapist/doctor Maruki was something that also bothered him sometimes. Though his ideals were honest and good intentioned, Ren could not allow people to be trapped in a dream-like world forever, especially his friends who would be living in a world based on a lie created by Maruki’s power.

The last time a moment had brought him the uneasy feeling of nervousness was the night of his proposal to his then girlfriend, Sumire Yoshizawa. After weeks and weeks of careful planning, Ren had performed a breathtaking ice-skating routine inspired by a scene from ‘Yuri on Ice!’

Then he had popped the question to her, and though 99% of his heart at the time knew she would accept him with all her love, there was still that tiny 1% that doubted if she would have said yes.

Though those fears were entirely and utterly unfounded.

Even now, at this moment, considering where he was, it is almost comical to think that she would have said anything other than yes. He could practically recall those bright ruby eyes of hers as she opened her mouth to accept his proposal.

Despite all that, Ren felt nervous at this very moment.

He was standing in the waiting room of the chapel, feeling exhausted, excited and above all; nervous, he somehow felt all these things simultaneously.

Wearing a very fine tailored black suit, with a red tie, grey vest and a fitted white buttoned up shirt, he was a combination of gentlemanly charm and coolness. He looked himself over for the 30th time in the tall mirror set against the white walls of the waiting room, adjusting his hair, shifting his tie.

“You look fine Ren! Stop worrying so much!” A slightly annoyed but amused voice called out from a corner of the brightly lit room.

Morgana, Ren’s constant cat companion, leaped onto the nearby desk and sat himself down. Morgana was also dressed in a very well-made cat suit (courtesy of Haru) that was the same colour of Ren’s but with an added yellow silk scarf around his neck.

“There’s no need to be so nervous! You guys are practically made for each other!”

Ren shivered slightly, feeling a chill go down his spine as he thought about his fiancée, or rather soon to become wife, “All the more reason to be nervous…”

He took another look at himself in the mirror, “I guess it’s all this waiting, it’s killing me.” Ren adjusted his tie and turned himself around once more.

Morgana rolled his eyes, “And all this fidgeting isn’t going to make it any better.”

“He has a point y’know.” One of Ren’s oldest friends, Ryuji Sakamoto, had just entered the waiting from. A current professional athlete and ramen connoisseur, he grinned at his best friend who grimaced back at him. He too was sporting a similar suit to Ren’s, with a yellow tie that complimented his combed back hair quite well.

“I find doing something entirely unrelated helps with the nerves,” Ryuji recommended taking a look at Ren and brushing a wrinkle out of his suit.

Ren looked inquiringly at his friend, “How much longer are they going to be?”

“Anywhere from 5 minutes to 30 minutes man, it’s always like this before the ceremony,” Ryuji replied shrugging, taking a seat on a nearby grey couch that was placed at the edge of the room.

Shortly after, Yusuke Kitagawa walked in. The lanky artist, now famous artist had not changed at all in the years Ren had known him. His suit was complimented by a navy-blue tie that paired well with his slightly dark blue hair. He took a moment to gaze upon Ren with artistic intent.

“How does the groom feel on his day of fate?” he asked Ren, smiling extravagantly at the raven-haired man.

“Like he’s about to throw up.”

Yusuke nodded, “Ah yes, I did read online that this was a common symptom for grooms on their wedding day, I have prepared some countermeasures to help you with this.”

“Oh, this should be good,” Ryuji said, a broad smile breaking across his face. 

The blue haired artist reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. Yusuke cleared his throat then started reading out from the list.

“I got this from a website that claimed to have helped previous grooms with their wedding days,” he explained as he looked at Ren.

“First, it is recommended to bring up similar or worse situations that make the groom feel at ease when comparing himself to the described scenarios.”

Morgana and Ryuji nodded. It was reasonable advice, though they were still sceptical if Yusuke could successfully put Ren at ease.

“Ahem now… imagine you are in a dark room, and you are presented with a blank canvas…”

“This sounds like the start of a riddle,” Ryuji muttered.

“Shh, I have a feeling I know where this is going,” Morgana said shaking his head.

Yusuke continued, “However you soon discover… you have no brushes or paint to fill the canvas with! Thus, you have to contain your bursting artistic craving! THE HORROR!”

…

Silence filled the room.

Ren blinked twice at his lanky friend.

Ryuji had covered his mouth with his entire first, trying his hardest to hold back a stream of laughter.

Morgana’s mouth was half open, in quiet exasperation at their eccentric friend.

“Oh… too horrible to imagine? Or was it not something you could relate to?” Yusuke asked the stunned room, his head tilted to one side in question.

“Let’s go with the latter Yusuke,” Ren said, trying to smile but feeling his face lock up from the nervousness he felt.

“Alright, no matter, I still have plenty of scenarios to go,” Yusuke straightened his tie and read the next line on the paper.

“Picture this, you are on a beach, carrying your painting canvas and art supplies when you suddenly spot a lobster, crawling along the sandy white shores of the beach!”

Yusuke closed his eyes and nodded to himself, picturing the scene perfectly in his mind.

“But, your hands are full with the art and supplies you carry, unless you drop your precious tools, you could never hope to catch that crustacean friend you see on the beach, and so you are forced to watch it retreat to its watery home, cursing yourself for not packing a more compact canvas to the beach!”

At this point, Ren, Ryuji and Morgana collectively burst out laughing. It was too much to contain for the three of them as they watched Yusuke explain this very detailed and probably real scenario to them.

“What’s wrong, has my story boosted your spirits?” Yusuke inquired, smiling slightly as he saw Ren’s amused expression.

Ren wiped away a tear of laughter from his eyes, “Yes Yusuke, you did excellently, I do feel much better now, thank you my friend.”

Yusuke shook his head.

“It was nothing Ren, truly.”

The friends all took a moment to smile at each other, they had come a long way from ‘normal’ high school boys all those years ago. And here they were, about to watch their leader marry one of their dear friends.

A small knock issued from the door of the room.

Sakura Sojiro appeared as he opened the door and stepped into the room. Ren was struck again by how suave he still looked even with the greying hair and beard. The tailored grey suit with a light pink coloured tie really brought him a complex presence, almost like his coffee. Sojiro broke into a small smile as he looked at the waiting group of men.

“Gentlemen, the bridal group is ready, you guys are supposed to step into the garden now.”

“This is it…” Ren muttered to himself.

Ryuji patted him hard on the back in reassurance. Similarly, Yusuke gently put a hand on Ren’s shoulder, nodding at their nervous leader. Morgana also nudged Ren’s legs in a familiar manner that made him involuntarily smile.

“Thank you all,” Ren then turned to Sojiro.

“Let’s go.”

With a resolute nod, they stepped through the door of the waiting room and followed Sojiro through the wide white halls to the garden.

* * *

“The guys are moving to the garden now; we’ll leave in about 5 minutes.”

Said Ann Takamaki, famous model and fashion designer. She carefully looked over the dress worn by a pretty red-haired girl one final time as she stood in front of the large wall-length mirror.

“She looks fine Ann-chan, stop fussing over her.”

Haru Okumura, CEO of Okumura foods and owner of ‘Simply Coffee’, a café chain that focused on homemade-style food and goods giggled as Ann once again checked the veil length, adjusting it slightly so it flowed better on the ground.

“Yes, and I do say she looks radiant,” Makoto Nijima, lead officer for the Shibuya Police force added, taking another look at the full dress of the bride.

“If I could rate her looks on a scale from 1 to 10 she would be 100! No maybe even more!” Futaba Sakura, extremely talented software coder and graphics art designer put in, bobbing her head in agreement.

All the bridesmaids nodded together.

“Thank you all, that means so much,” the red haired girl responded in turn, “you guys also look gorgeous!”

All the bridesmaids were wearing violet dresses that highlighted and complimented the bride’s dress perfectly.

“Are you feeling nervous?” Ann asked, looking the bride over again.

“No, not in the slightest.”

Futaba tilted her head to the side, “Really? How come?”

A small pause filled the room, before the bride spoke.

“Because I’ll be marrying someone I know I love with all my heart,” Sumire Yoshizawa replied serenely, though there was a small blush to her cheeks as she said this.

All the girls in the room squealed, they went over and hugged Sumire one by one.

A small knock was heard from the door leading out of the room.

Sae Nijima stepped in, wearing an elegant dress of black with silver lining.

“The groom and his best men have arrived at the garden, we should start making our way over there now,” she said smiling at the bridal group.

Sumire took a deep breath as Ann put the veil over her face. Makoto put her hand on Sumire’s reassuringly. Futaba gave a two thumbs-up and Ann nodded gently at the blushing bride.

“Let’s go,” Sumire said smiling widely.

* * *

It was nearly evening; the Tokyo sky was a mix of orange and dark blue as the sun began to set in the horizon. The faint twinkling of stars could be seen if you looked carefully at the night sky above and with the absence of any clouds, the view was clear and beautiful.

Ren and his group moved through the well-kept show garden. Plants, trees and bushes were all neatly kept here, each of them a vibrant colour ranging from green, to shades of yellow and red.

Finally, they came to a large clearing in the central garden. Here, a large white archway with entwining flowers curled around the structure. In front of it were white wooden chairs, placed in a semi-circle formation around the arch-way. In one corner of the garden a band was set up, currently playing a low jazz melody that created a relaxing mood.

The seats were already occupied with friends and family. As Ren made his way up to the archway, he spotted his many confidants already seated and talking amongst themselves. When he passed them by, they all smiled at him widely. He spotted Iwai and Kaoru in matching suits, sitting beside them were Kawakami and Tae. Many more were seated but Ren only got a brief glimpse of them as he passed the rows of chairs.

Ren heard a couple of kids shoutout in a quiet tone when they saw Morgana walking along the groom’s party, which made him smile. He also saw Sumire’s parents and the rest of her family, sitting next to his own. They were talking very animatedly and when they spotted the groom, they all smiled and waved.

Ren and his friends finally got to the archway, where they turned to face the assembled group of friends and family. He could feel beads of sweat forming on his brow as they took their position to the right side of the arch.

Sojiro walked towards them and stood in the middle of the arch as he was officiating the ceremony. He gave Ren a quick nod to which the young groom nodded back. Sojiro gestured to the band in the corner and they stopped their slow jazz song.

Gently, like the flow of a river, a slow piano melody started playing that seemed to soar throughout the garden area. Soon a cello joined in, carrying the song further out into the crowd. It was ‘Pachelbel's Canon in D’, a song recommended to Ren by Sojiro himself. Hearing it played out loud, its beautiful soaring melody filling his heart, Ren couldn’t help but feel like Sojiro had made the perfect recommendation.

The old barista cleared his throat and in clear voice said, “Please stand for the bride and her bridesmaids.”

The ensembled crowd stood up in one motion, all of them eyeing the entrance to the garden for the bridal party.

Soon enough, they entered. First came Ann, Makoto, Futaba and Haru. Ren couldn’t help but smile as he saw their violet dresses, which the girls had decided on as a group as it was one of Sumire’s favourite colours and a reference to her name.

Ren felt himself take in a sharp breath as Sumire entered the garden space. From the orange rays of sunlight, he could see the wedding dress clearly. It was a cream white colour that sparkled from the fading sunlight as if small diamonds were sewed into the fabric. With a long veil that hid her face and flowed behind her in a trailing stream, Ren immediately saw the dress resembled Sumire’s true persona, Ella.

As they made it halfway through the seats, Sumire’s father, Shinichi Yoshizawa stood up and joined her as part of the ceremony.

Sumire elegantly took her father’s hand and smiled at him. He returned the smile warmly, doing his best to hold himself together as he guided his daughter to the archway where Ren and his group were waiting.

The bridal party arrived at the arch-way, Sumire’s father stepped back and bowed to Ren who returned the bow deeply.

Sumire and the girls took their position to the left of the arch. Ren could have sworn he saw Sumire give him a quick smile, though with her veil it was hard to say.

Sojiro looked at the two groups smiling with pride, then spoke up.

“Honoured family and friends, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of these two kindred souls, Ren Amamiya and Sumire Yoshizawa.”

He paused for a moment before continuing on.

“As someone who has seen these two grow not only as people, but as treasured friends and partners, I can say with all my heart that this ceremony is but a small step in their lives, knowing that they have many more moments to share with not only us but with each other.”

Ren quickly wiped the moistness from his eyes. He quickly looked around and saw Ryuji was busy rubbing his eyes hard. Yusuke calmly wiped the tears from his own eyes, similar to Morgana.

Sumire did her best to hold back the warm emotion she felt, she heard faint sniffles from Ann as Haru handed her handkerchief over to the blonde women, with Makoto and Futaba patting Ann comfortingly.

“Now then, I believe the groom and bride have prepared wedding vows to each other.” Sojiro stepped back as Ren and Sumire walked forwards to each other.

As their eyes met, even through the veil, Ren could tell Sumire was blushing furiously but smiling all the same.

Ryuji and Ann both stepped forward after them with a small scroll which they handed their respective bride and groom.

Ren unfolded his first and began to read out loud in a clear voice.

“Sumire Yoshizawa, you’re the most beautiful and kind-hearted person I know. From the moment I met you I knew you were special, you’ve come into my life since that day in Shujin and charmed the heart right out of me.”

Ren took another deep breath.

“You’ve been carrying such heavy burdens from such a young age, even when you nearly faltered, you stood up and kept going. Something I had always admired about you Sumire was not only your strength but your honesty and your kindness.”

He looked up and found her ruby eyes on him.

“I want to let you know that you no longer have to carry those burdens alone, I will always be there when you need me, through whatever troubles we face, we’ll face them together.”

Ren rolled the scroll up, he no longer needed to read its words, as all the things he needed to say were right in his heart.

“As I once said before, I hope to prove my devotion to you through our love and so I’ll continue loving you till the very end, forever and always Sumire.”

Applause filled the garden as Ren finished his vows. Now it was Sumire’s turn to do her best to hold back her tears. She took a long breath and unrolled her own scroll.

“Ren Amamiya, you’re the loveable cool but kind thief that stole my heart, I never imagined someone like you would come into my life and sweep me off my feet. Your confidence, support and compassion has helped me so many times I’ve lost count.”

Her eyes met his own and she saw he was smiling gently at her.

“I want you to know that I will also carry your burdens with you, and I know that as long as we have each other, everything will be just fine.”

Sumire rolled her scroll up, the rest of what she wanted to say was already so clear in her own heart.

“Forever and always, I will love you for the rest of all time, Ren.”

Applause once again sounded from the crowd as the bride and groom finished their vows. Ren and Sumire’s eyes met once more and unspoken words passed between them. As Sojiro stepped forward, Ren saw him quickly wipe his eyes with one of his hands.

“Now then, for the legal part of this ceremony.” A small laugh filled the crowd as Sojiro pulled out a small handbook.

“To all gathered here today, please bear witness to the union of these two people, who are about to be joined together through love and life.”

“Please bring out the rings,” he said, gesturing to Futaba and Yusuke.

Futaba presented Sumire her ring and Yusuke presented Ren his.

Sojiro turned to Ren.

“Do you, Rem Amamiya, take Sumire Yoshizawa to be your lawful wedded wife?”

Ren nodded confidently “I do.”

He stepped forward with his ring and put it on Sumire’s finger.

Sojiro turned to Sumire.

“Now do you, Sumire Yoshizawa, take Ren Amamiya to be your lawful wedded husband?”

Sumire smiled radiantly “I do.”

It was her turn to step forward, she slowly slipped the ring on Ren’s finger.

With a satisfied smile Sojiro turned to the gathered group of family and friends.

“I now announce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride.”

Ren felt he was caught off guard, even though he knew this part was coming. He slowly stepped towards Sumire and gently softly lifted her veil. He finally got to see her face clearly. Her glowing ruby eyes seemed to be smiling at him as he looked at her.

Almost as if in a trance, both of them leaned in and their lips met as Ren pulled Sumire into his embrace.

Loud celebratory cheers erupted from the crowd though to the couple it was a dim faded noise. The only focus they had was on each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prequel: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24013726/chapters/57772423
> 
> Shoutout to Monkkind for proof reading my story! Please check out his own story 'The Future of Royal' if you haven't! It's quite good and is one of my favorite stories!  
> My first chapter!  
> Please be patient as I get writing to my 2nd chapter of this story, I sincerely hope you enjoyed, thank you to all the new readers and old readers for coming back and reading my work, please stick around for more moments like these!
> 
> Till next time for Part 2!


	2. Prologue - An Ordinary day for a Wedding Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of 'An Ordinary day for a Wedding'  
> As friends and family gather at the dining hall, celebration and dinner ensures as the next part of the wedding takes place!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all,  
> Thank you for reading part 2 of my prologue, I hope you enjoy it!  
> P.S Listening to the 'Ryo Fukui - Scenery 1976' album is a great way to enjoy this chapter ;)

When the cheers and applause had settled, Ren and Sumire, along with their respective bridesmaids and best men, made their way to the large open dining area adjacent to the garden.

Here, large round white tables with approximately 8 seats per table were spaced around evenly under a roof that was decorated with a canopy of vines and wooden beams which provided cover and a natural garden atmosphere.

Ren and Sumire along with their close group of friends were seated at the very front of this open area, on a long rectangular table set out for the main group.

The order of the seating from left to right at the head table was: Makoto, Haru, Yusuke, Futaba, Sumire, Ren, Morgana, Ryuji and Ann.

After all the guests had seated themselves around their respective tables silence began to settle as Ren grabbed the microphone that was already placed on their table and stood up to make his welcome speech.

“Dearest friends and family, thank you all for coming today to celebrate my union with Sumire.” He turned and smiled at his bride, now wife, who blushingly returned the smile.

“From the bottom of my heart I cannot thank you all enough for supporting us and being here with us on this special day, thank you all again.”

Loud applause followed Ren’s thanks, he smiled at his friends and family and took a quick look around the open dining area. At one table, he saw Iwai, along with his son Kaoru and Shinya who waved at Ren wildly. Ren had seen them earlier at the wedding reception avidly talking about a new shooter game coming out this fall.

Ren was quickly able to spot Ohya waving around a glass of champagne enthusiastically with Kawakami. Beside them, Chihaya was shaking her head in slight embarrassment with Hifumi next to her watching the pair with apprehension and amusement.

Lastly his eyes fell on the table with Sumire’s and his own family, who were all smiling and waving up at him.

Ren continued on, feeling bolstered by the loving and enthusiastic crowd, “Onto the next order of things, a 3-course dinner will be served to you all shortly, before that we have a couple of speeches presented by our best-men.”

Clapping ensued again and Ren turned to Ryuji, who was up first among the best men.

Ann patted him encouragingly as he stood up, looking over the crowd with a mix of nervousness and excitement.

Ryuji gave a quick look towards Ren as he pulled out some palm cards from his jacket pocket.

“I would like to say sorry just before I start my speech, I’ve got some embarrassing stories from our high-school days and I hope Ren will be able to make it through them.”

The crowd chuckled in response to this. All Ren could do was cringe inwardly, trying to quickly think of all the embarrassing things he had gotten up to with his friends during his Highschool/Phantom Thief days. Sumire turned to her husband and held his hand reassuringly, giggling softly.

Ryuji coughed to clear his throat then began.

“Well, as any best man speech goes, I should introduce myself. I’m Ryuji Sakamoto and before I begin my speech I would first like to give a big congratulations to Ren and Sumire again. Honestly, they’re one the best couples I know, they not only fit each other perfectly, but they care and support each other to an extent that warms even my ‘tough’ heart.”

Ren felt a wide smile across his face as he heard those words from Ryuji, he could also see Sumire was also smiling at Ryuji’s warm words.

“For Ren, I’ve known him since my days at Shujin Academy, the highschool we attended in Tokyo. He was always that guy I could count on, even when people had started treating me as a delinquent and troublemaker, he didn’t care about those rumours, he was always cool, confident and supportive even when I was having a rough time, and that’s something I will never forget.”

Ryuji was able to spot his mom at one of the tables, she gave a warm smile at him, which he returned.

“And so, I could never imagine anyone else to marry our friend Sumire, as Ren is the most caring and supportive guy I know.”

A warm round of applause rang out through the dining area. Ryuji saw Ren get up and make his way over to his blonde friend. He felt himself get pulled into a hug by Ren.

“Thank you man,” was all Ren said, but that was all Ryuji needed to hear.

As Ren went to sit back down the applause settled.

“Well, not that we got the heartfelt part done, it’s time I share with you one of my favourite embarrassing moments I shared with Ren and a good friend of ours Mishima.”

Ren felt his eyes widen, “Hoo boy, I have a feeling I know what’s coming…”

Somewhere in the crowd Yuuki Mishima, well known author of ‘The True Phantom Thieves of Hearts’, felt himself go rigid.

Ryuji went on, smiling as he recounted the story.

“As Highschool boys in our second year, I one day got a pamphlet for something Highschool students should probably not be looking into, it was an advertisement for a maid service in Shibuya.”

Ren felt himself shiver, Sumire eyed her husband with interest, this was the first time she had heard this story.

“One day after school I decided to ask Ren if he wanted to try out the service with me, _ahem_ purely out of curiosity of course!”

The crowd laughed lightly at this, Ren saw Ann shake her head in mild disappointment with Sumire looking even more astonished as the story went on.

“By pure chance, Mishima overheard us and after all agreeing to order a maid we decided to name our daring plan, Operation Maidwatch.”

At this point Mishima, took a large gulp of champagne with Shiho patting him on the back comfortingly. Coincidentally, Kawakami, who was sitting a few tables away was also busy drinking heavily from her glass of champagne, feeling both very amused and embarrassed.

“Later that night, we met up at Shibuya where I happened to know there was a vacant apartment we could use. At that point, we all started to lose our courage, eventually we convinced Ren to call the maid service although I will say he did so reluctantly.”

“And so, Ren called the service and a maid was going to show up in 20 minutes! I was so nervous that Mishima and I actually had to bail on Ren, we ended up hiding out on the balcony.”

Once again, laughter rang throughout the area as Ren shook his head, remembering the incident quite clearly.

“The maid who arrived was quite sharp, and she quickly questioned Ren if he was actually old enough to use this service.”

“And then, I can still remember it, Ren decides to go with it, saying that he was a father and definitely old enough for the maid service!”

Laughter breaks out from everyone in the crowd and Ren facepalms himself, hard. Sumire is busy laughing with wild abandon beside him, clutching her stomach. Ann is shaking her head but wiping away tears of laughter, similar to Makoto. Futaba and Haru both burst out laughing from the story.

Ryuji grinned out at the crowd, “Well, that last time we all called for a maid service as a group, I would like to thank Ren again for his courage and apologize to him for making me his best man. I wish him the best of luck with his marriage.”

Applause filled the hall as Ryuji took a seat again. Ren was shaking his head but laughing softly to himself. 

Just as Ryuji sat down, Yusuke stood up, getting out his own speech notes as the crowd settled once more. 

The artist looked out to the crowd, smiling to himself.

“Good evening everyone, I’m Yusuke Kitagawa, I’m the second best man chosen by Ren to give a speech at his wedding, and though I know my prepared ‘amusing’ story won’t be as funny as my friend Ryuji’s I hope it lives up to your expectations.”

“Before we get to that, once again, I want to give my sincerest congratulations to the married couple.”

Yusuke turned to face Sumire and Ren.

“Throughout all the years I have known Ren and Sumire, I have never seen a more radiant couple that matched each other perfectly; like a blue ocean highlighted by the setting sun, a marvelous composition of beauty, elegance and coolness.”

Silence had fallen over the assembled crowd, as they were enraptured by Yusuke’s poem-like speech.

“I know whatever journey lies ahead, however long and arduous it may be, they will overcome it together and as their friend, I feel fortunate to have been here today to celebrate their blissful union as husband and wife.”

Ren could see the audience had been so shocked by Yusuke’s refined expression of his friendship and admiration of both Sumire and himself that it had left them speechless.

However, this shock wore off as loud applause filled the hall. Yusuke bowed his head gratefully.

“Thank you all, now I would like to get to my amusing story that I've shared with Ren during my school days with him.”

Ren felt himself tense up again, what story would Yusuke tell? 

“During my high school days my artistic talents were blossoming but limited, I had always drawn to impress people, however I started searching for a deeper purpose in my art after leaving my Sensei’s shadow.”

“I think it is an understatement to say that Ren has contributed greatly to the artist I have become today. Growing up I never could understand basic human interaction or emotion in most people and Ren helped me overcome this by accompanying me around town, during my slump period.”

“An amusing story that comes to mind was the time we visited the church in Kanda. We had come to the church seeking a raw expression of anguish, a human emotion I sought to understand if I were to create a new art piece and overcome my slump.”

“My plan was to draw the divinity of Christ and his expression of anguish but the painting in the church did not express the emotion I sought.”

Ren already knew where this story was going, and so he prepared himself, thinking back to the memory of that dimly lit church he and Yusuke had journeyed to on that rainy day.

“Until, inspiration struck me! I asked Ren to model the scene for me, and he did! As he could not leave me to suffer in this slump!”

Laughter had started breaking out in the crowd, Sumire’s face was a mix of joy and extreme confusion. Ren had started having second thoughts on having so many best men.

“Though as you all know Ren is a very composed and calm person but that would not suffice, I needed him to show anguish and so I encouraged him, no... I employed him! To show me his true raw emotion in the pose of Christ!”

“And he did! He raised his hands higher in the air and his face became that of true suffering and despair, I could feel the emotion in his pose!”

And now the whole crowd had joined in the raucous laughter that spread throughout the hall. Ren saw Sumire was wiping away tears of laughter from her eyes, “Ren you do the strangest thing for friends,” she said, giggling. 

Ren shook his head in despair, “Tell me about it…”

Yusuke too was laughing, although in a quiet sort of way, “Alas, we later found out by a priest that we had gotten the meaning behind the church painting all wrong, it was more about forgiveness than pain.”

“I had never forgotten that day, Ren truly goes above and beyond for his friends but also for people in need and that is why I am fortunate to call him my trusted friend.”

The crowd applauded as Yusuke finished his speech. Ren stood up and came over to his lanky eccentric art friend and hugged him.

Despite his strange ways, Ren appreciated Yusuke deeply, particularly his way with words and art. 

As Yusuke sat down, Morgana leaped onto the table. 

“Ryuji, my turn,” Morgana said to him.

Ryuji looked sceptical but nodded, “Alright, have you got something prepared?”

The well-dressed cat nodded, “Yes, Futaba had helped me type this up last week, it’s in my jacket pocket.” 

The crowd looked quite confused as Ryuji reached into Morgana’s small cat pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper.

“This is gonna look strange…” Ryuji muttered more to himself than to Morgana.

“Just read out what I have there please,” Morgana instructed him. 

Ryuji smiled, though they had fought and argued in the past, Ryuji really appreciated the support and advice Morgana had given them throughout their Phantom Thief days and even now. 

He gave a confident nod, “You got it!”

The blonde track runner stood up and faced the ensembled crowd once more, “Hello to everyone again, we have one final best man speech, given by one of Ren’s companions and partner, his loyal cat Morgana.”

The crowd applauded but looked even more confused now. Ryuji could see most of them were looking at each other, wondering if this was part of a comedic skit. 

The only people that truly seemed to understand that Morgana was actually about to give a best man speech were Sojiro and Sae, who looked at the slightly fidgeting cat with a small smile of confidence and support.

Ryuji had begun reading out Morgana’s prepared statement, with Morgana saying it outloud first for the Phantom Thieves to hear and Ryuji providing the translation to the audience.

“My name is Morgana, and I have been Ren’s companion since his earliest high school days at Shujin. Ren had taken me in when I had no one in my life. He and Sojiro provided me a place to stay, and though the attic Ren lived in was dusty and old, to me it was heaven, as it was a warm and dry place I could rest safely.”

“Ren and I have had our ups and downs, though he has always shown me great patience when I was being childish and even greater support for when I had lost my way. 

“Though there were many things I had taught him during my stay with him as his partner, he had equally taught me just as many important things. Things such as friendship, teamwork and the value of family.

Morgana paused for a bit, he looked up at Ryuji, who gave an encouraging thumbs up.

“I... have no funny stories to share with you all of Ren because the times we spent together were all fun in their own way. When I first met Sumire, I knew she was perfect for him, she has shown me the same kindness and care that he did back then and still does now.” 

“I know their life together will be blissful and fun, as they are both wonderful and caring people, I could never wish for more wonderful friends and I hope you’ll stay by my side till the end.”

Warm but slightly confused applause sounded from the crowd, as the entire group of friends stood up and went over to hug and pat Morgana.

“Hey, watch the suit!” he cried out in protest as the Phantom Thieves all came to him. The group laughed and wiped away tears as they hugged their worrisome cat friend. 

Ren patted Morgana gently on the head.

“Thanks Morgana,” was all he said.

Though Morgana didn’t need to hear anything else from his friend.

Sojiro felt his eyes moisten from the scene and quickly turned his back to wipe his eyes.

Sumire, Haru, Makoto and Ann were both trying not to cry at their friend’s heartfelt words, though they weren’t doing a very good job. Futaba had just let the tears fall out as they hugged the cat hard, causing him to squirm and struggle in her grip.

Eventually they let the cat go much to Morgana’s relief. 

Makoto now picked up the microphone, “That concludes our speeches for the night, please enjoy the entree meal which will be Agedashi Tofu, the meal will be delivered to your tables shortly.”

As she put the microphone done, the guest started talking amongst themselves as a slow jazz music picked up from one corner of the room.

“Very touching and… interesting speeches you guys,” Ren said, turning to both Morgana, Ryuji and Yusuke. 

“We try our best,” Ryuji replied unabashedly, grinning wildly at their now married leader.

Ann shook her head, “Never realised you guys got up to so much between palace infiltrations.”

Yusuke nodded, “Ah yes, Ren always planned out our outings, so we could still infiltrate the palace on time.”

“He’s pretty meticulous about those things,” Makoto pointed out.

Futaba nodded her head enthusiastically, “Sounds like Ren alright!”

Ren couldn’t help but smile, Sumire turned to him and did the same, holding his hand in hers gently. 

“Sounds like I married quite a catch,” she teased, her ruby eyes glinting in amusement.

Ren scoffed, “You’re one to talk, I got to marry the beautiful and talented gold-medal gymnast, Sumire Amamiya,” he teased back, adding his last name to hers now that they were officially married.

Her cheeks turned a faint rosy color as his words but the radiance to her smile did not fade as she looked at him.

Waiters from the kitchen brought the ensembled family and friends their entree now. A plated dish of Agedashi Tofu. 

It was deep fried tofu with a crispy crust formed by a potato starch coating. The tofu was accompanied by grated daikon, scallion and nori, with a light soy-based sauce that soaked into the tofu.

The meal and ingredients had been prepared by the Okumura company and Haru had arranged with Ren to get some of her chefs from the company to assist with the menu tonight.

Conversation flowed lightly among the friends as they ate. Idle things such as vacation plans, current news and other fluff. It was more so about the company they shared than the conversations they had.

“Your chefs have done an excellent job Haru,” Ren said as he tasted the Agedashi Tofu.

The heiress smiled, “I’m glad Ren, I oversaw the ingredient selection and cooking method myself.”

Sumire bowed her head, “Thank you so much Haru! It’s delicious!”

“Glad you like it Sumire!” Haru replied back with a beaming smile.

After the entree, the main course, Nikujaga which consisted of slow simmered beef, potatoes, shirataki noodles and a dashi soy soup was presented to each person.

“I’m going to have to run off all these calories…” Ann muttered as they were each given their bowl. 

“I’ll show you the best running routes through Tokyo!” Ryuji suggested helpfully as he dug into the Nikujaga.

“We can all go, it will be a fun group exercise,” Makoto added, smiling at Ann.

Futaba groaned, “Exercise as a group!?”

“It’ll be fun once you get into it,” Ren said smiling at their navigator.

Finally, a dessert of mochi ice cream with sprigs of peppermint was delivered to the tables.

“Mhmmm this is so sweet!” Ann said as she bit into the mochi ice cream.

“Glad it’s to your liking! We were worried about the filling when we came up with the dessert idea,” Haru explained, taking her spoon and cutting into the mochi.

“Yeah... we eventually decide on 3 different mochi’s, a matcha, ube and sesame flavor,” Ren added to Haru’s explanation.

“I love it,” Sumire exclaimed, chewing on the mochi happily, “especially the matcha!”

“Agreed, it’s a perfect mixture of modern and old japanese dessert,” Yusuke said smiling. 

When dessert was cleared, Ren knew it was time for the dance.

He stood up once more and grabbed the microphone. 

“I hope you all enjoyed those meals, I would like to once again thank Okumura foods for helping us with catering the event.”

Ren took a deep breath, then handed the microphone to Yusuke.

Yusuke gestured to the adjacent garden area where they had held the ceremony.

“Could all guests please move to the garden, where we will hold the first dance between the husband and wife.”

Noise broke out from the crowd as they all stood up and made their way to the garden once more.

Ren grabbed Sumire’s hand.

“Ready to dance?” he asked her. 

Sumire gripped his hands in confirmation, “I’ve been ready since that day at the school festival when I missed the chance to dance with you Ren.”

* * *

The main group made their way to the garden now, which had been cleared out of all the chairs from the ceremony and was instead made into a large circular ‘dance floor’.

The dark night sky of Tokyo filled the horizon, with lights in the distance from the city itself. 

Lanterns of lights had been placed around the garden, giving it an aetherial and magical look.

The jazz band was set up in the same corner as last time, they stood to attention as the husband and wife entered the garden to the applause of the guest.

Ren and Sumire took to the centre of the dance space, they faced each other as they got ready. Sumire could see Ren was nervous from the way his eyes flickered above the crowd’s heads. 

“Keep your eyes on me Joker,” she ordered him with a wide smile.

Ren looked at her in surprise, then said, “Always have and will Violet.” 

Sojiro had now taken the microphone, once he could see all the guest were settled in a ring around the couple he spoke.

“The bride and groom will now have their first dance.” 

Silence had filled the garden. 

Then the band kicked into gear.

Ren put one hand on Sumire’s waist and grabbed her hand in the other.

Sumire similarly, put one hand on his left shoulder and the other interlinked with Ren’s hand. 

The end version of ‘Royal Days’ played out as the couple slow danced.

Ren could feel hundreds of eyes on him but his own were focused on his wife.

Sumire looked radiant in the faint light of the lanterns.

She gave him a supportive smile as they spun around. Ren looped Sumire around his arms as they had practised.

“That’s it Joker,” Sumire whispered as they returned to they twirled around. 

Ren then pulled her in close, his head right next to her own. To them it felt like they were alone in this moment, Ren closed his eyes and focused on her presence as the song came to an end.

They stayed like this till the final notes played and wild applause filled the whole garden.

“You’re a great dancer, sweetheart,” Ren said softly.

“You’re not too bad either darling,” Sumire replied with a mischievous smile.

Soon enough, ‘Beneath the Mask’ started playing and the couple was joined in by their friends.

Ryuji and Ann were dancing nearby, with Ryuji doing his best to avoid Ann’s toes. Eventually Ryuji switched with Morgana though Ryuji had to carry Morgana as he ‘danced’ with Ann, much to Ren’s and Sumire’s amusement.

Yusuke and Futaba were doing a weird step dance close to Ren and Sumire, it was like watching two snakes fight each other. 

Haru and Makoto were doing a waltz, with Haru leading Makoto around giggling as they danced.

The couple returned their attention back to each other. 

“May I have another dance... princess?” Ren asked her, bowing his head.

Sumire giggled then did a small curtsy, “You can have as many as you like, prince of thieves.”

They danced, and though the dance floor filled up with many of their family and friends they only paid attention to each other.

* * *

The night went on and the wedding celebration came to a stop at around 2 AM.

As the guests were leaving, Sumire and Ren watched them go from the entrance to the reception area. 

They were dressed in less formal attire now, Sumire was wearing a much simpler version of her wedding dress, a pure white cut dress that didn’t have the extra lace and accents to it. 

Ren had draped his jacket over Sumire and was just wearing his white shirt with his red tie. A cold breeze blew past them as they waved as the last guest cars left the garden venue. 

They had the soft footsteps of their friends behind them.

“Wow it’s over,” Ryuji said stretching his arms out.

Ann tried to hide her yawn, though failing quite spectacularly, “Yeah… was a really beautiful day though!” 

Makoto nodded in agreement with a small smile, “The weather was perfect, though I will admit I was worried there was going to be some light rain, I’m glad it all worked out though.”

Futaba was leaning slightly on Yusuke, her eyes were closed as she mumbled, “Yes, a S+ success… now let’s fast travel back home...” 

Yusuke shook his head, a mix of pure bewilderment and amusement crossed his face, “I’ll get this one home, please enjoy your night you two.” 

Morgana patted over to them, “I’ll be staying with Haru till you guys get back from your honeymoon in Hokkaido!” 

Ren nodded and turned to all his friends, who were all smiling at him.

“Thank you all for the help you’ve given us these last few days guys, really.” 

Sumire bowed her head, “Yes, we could not have done this without you guys.” 

The group all looked at each other before laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Ren asked, feeling like he was missing out on a joke.

Ann wiped away a tear, “You guys are so cute! We’re friends and we help each other out, always have, as you have done for us in the past!” 

They all nodded in agreement, smiling at the newly wed couple.

Ren and Sumire once again realised how fortunate they were to have such a close group of friends supporting them. They looked at each other sheepishly. 

Then they all moved in for a group hug (Yusuke managed to position Futaba’s tired body in the middle).

“Have a good night you guys!” Haru said as they broke up from the hug.

Ren smiled, “Thank you, you guys get home safe as well.”

Ryuji came over to hug Ren roughly, as the girls all took their turn to hug Sumire.

Then Sumire and Ren watched their friends enter their cars and drive off. They stood there for a moment, taking in the moment. “Shall we go sweetheart?” Ren asked his new wife, offering his hand to her.

“Yes, let’s go home darling,” Sumire replied with a warm smile.

* * *

They arrived at their new house in Hiroo, which was a quiet residential district next to Shibuya. Ren had brought this house a few months ago before the wedding, after having saved up a considerable amount of money. 

As he opened the door it felt strange stepping in, afterall he was now married to his extremely talented and beautiful partner Sumire and this was the first night they would be together. 

He suddenly felt very self conscious as he took his shoes off. Ren heard Sumire yawn behind him as he stepped inside the main corridor leading to the living room.

“I’m exhausted…” she said, though her tone was tired Ren could hear she was content. 

“Yeah, it’s definitely been an incredibly long day.” 

Ren went over to the table and placed the keys to his car on the table.

He suddenly realised again that it was just them alone, in the house.

“Do you want some tea?” he asked, trying to break the self conscious mood he was currently feeling.

“That would be lovely, dear husband,” she said in a slight teasing voice.

“Coming right up, dear wife,” he added back. 

Ren headed to the kitchen which was connected to the living room. He reached into a cupboard and shifted around some bean mixes before grabbing a can of green tea leaves.

He busied himself as Sumire went to the bathroom. Shortly after he had prepared two hot cups of green tea. 

Sumire came out of the bathroom, having washed her face, and sat herself down at the kitchen table, yawning once more.

“Here,” Ren passed over the cup to her.

She nodded gratefully with a small smile, “Thank you husband.”

“Is that going to be my new name now?” he inquired, raising an eyebrow.

“I mean… uhm, I’m the only person that gets to call you that.”

Sumire’s eyes went from his own to the cup of tea in front of her. Ren was very much aware of the slow creeping blush that filled her cheeks as well as his own.

He cleared his throat, “Oh...of course…”

They sipped the tea in silence, Ren felt like his mouth was getting drier by the second despite the fact that he was drinking something at that moment.

When he had finished his tea, and noticed Sumire had done the same, he set the cup down. 

Finally, taking a deep breath, he looked across at her.

“Shall we... head to bed?” 

Sumire nearly knocked over the cup in her hands as his words.

“Uhm, yes! Let’s go to bed now.” 

Ren nodded, he stood up slowly. Sumire did the same.

They walked side by side, towards the corridor leading to their bedroom.

As they arrived at the door to their bedroom they both stopped. Ren could feel his heart beating irrationally fast in his chest.

Then Ren felt Sumire slip her hands into his own and he felt a calmness come over him.

“I love you,” Sumire said softly in the dim light of the corridor.

Ren grabbed her slender warm hands with both of his own, “And I love you,” Ren replied, looking deeply into her eyes.

Their lips touched, and as soon as they both pulled back they knew that they were going to share many more moments and kisses, now as husband and wife.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all  
> Hope you enjoyed this part 2, the final 'prologue' chapter before we launch into the main story!
> 
> Just wanted to give a shoutout to Monkkind for proofreading my work, his story 'The Future of Royal' is great if you haven't checked it out!  
> Also shoutout to Kazura for shouting out my work in his own story, 'Retribution of the Trickster'! also a great read!
> 
> I also wanted to quicklly comment on the chosen wedding tradition in the chapter, I decided to go with a western one with a mixture of Japanese customs mainly due to my familiarity with those.
> 
> For those that are interested to know, Shinzenshiki is the true Japanese wedding where the bride wears a very expensive multilayered kimono and the groom dresses in a similar fashion. Interestingly enough not many people can afford that type of traditional wedding as can be very expensive! 
> 
> I think Ren and the rest of the Thieves would prefer a western style wedding just from the generation they were born in and so that's the creative choice I decided to go with!
> 
> Please look forward to the next chapter! I try to stick with a new chapter every 1-2 weeks :D Once again thank you all for reading my work!
> 
> Till next time <3 Stay safe


	3. A Trip Just For Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 1. Ren and Sumire take their honeymoon together in Hokkaido, where they enjoy the sights and the time they are able to spend together!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all  
> Really sorry this chapter took so long, I've been having terrible writers block but I'm happy with how this chapter finally turned out.  
> I did a lot of research for this to ensure it was accurate to Hokkaido, all the locations and events from this chapter actually exist in the city if you ever go travelling here!  
> Please enjoy part 1 of the honeymoon!  
> P.S. Listening to "Summer Feelings ~ lofi hip hop mix" by Dreamy, is a great way to enjoy this chapter ;)

Green and bright scenery flashed by the Shinkansen train window as it sped past the outskirts of Hakodate. Ren could barely make out the outlying houses and fields in the distance as the train flew by. He turned his head and adjusted his shoulders slightly to not wake his sleeping wife, who was fast asleep with her head on his shoulder.

Sumire snored softly by his side as Ren quietly pulled out his phone. Carefully, he took a quick photo of his partner’s sleeping face before putting his phone away once again and closing his own eyes, smiling quietly to himself.

It had been 2 days since their wedding ceremony and the newly married couple were now on their way to Hokkaido for their honeymoon, which would last for 2 whole weeks, stretching into the last summer month of Japan which would be August. 

They had woken up particularly early this morning to prepare for the trip and had boarded the Shinkansen lighting rail from Tokyo at around 8 AM. 

It had been decided they would leave Morgana in Haru’s excellent care, to which Morgana had no objection. After saying goodbye to their friends at the station, the couple had boarded the train and soon after, it sped off towards Hokkaido.

The inside of the train was lit with long strips of light on the roof. Rows of seats were lined up on either side with a central corridor in the middle for people to walk between the seats. 

Ren and Sumire were sitting by themselves near the window, apart from them, the train was mostly empty apart from a few other families sitting a few seats away from them.

The train they were currently on would take them to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto before they would transfer onto another line leading to Sapporo, the main capital of Hokkaido. 

Ren felt his wife stir slightly, he opened his eyes to find that Sumire had pulled out her phone and was taking a photo of his sleeping face. 

“Eeep! You’re awake!” she cried out in a hushed tone as she saw her husband’s eyes turn to her. 

“I am, were you trying to sneak a photo of me?” he asked her, raising his eyebrow. 

“Uhm no! Of course not Ren! Just checking how much further we have to go,” she answered, quickly opening the map of their travel plan on her phone, though her cheeks were considerably flushed. 

“I wouldn’t mind either way if you were Sumire,” he said laughing softly as his flustered wife. 

“Oh! In that case...” 

She leaned in and put her head on his shoulders once more, taking out her phone and holding it directly in front of them.

“Smile!”

Ren didn’t have to be prompted as he genuinely grinned at the camera along with his wife.

Sumire snapped a photo of them and then quickly went to have a look at it.

“You look cute as always,” Ren noted as he took a look at the newly taken photo.

“I think you mean we both look cute,” Sumire corrected him with a warm smile.

Ren nodded, “Of course dear.”

Sumire smiled once more before putting her phone away and stretching her arms in the air.

“Would you like some green tea?” she asked him seeing that they were both now awake.

“That would be great, thank you Sumire,” Ren nodded with a smile.

She went into her bag which she had stored under her seat and pulled out a metal bottle and two cups.

Carefully pouring out the tea into the cups, she handed one to Ren who accepted it gratefully.

* * *

They talked about various things as the train neared their destination, from good restaurants to eat at to exciting sights they should see.

The couple didn’t have anything particular planned, just a rough idea, all that mattered was that they were spending the trip together.

“And then, we should definitely see Odori park, we'll buy some bento and have a small picnic when we get there, I hear the grass is perfect to sit on and enjoy the sight of the park!" Sumire explained in a very fast and enthusiastic tone as she recounted the things she wanted to do once they got to Sapporo.

"That would be great, I can't wait darling," Ren said nodding along. Although he secretly thought that whatever they did, it would be great, as long as they were there together.

He chose not to share this with Sumire however, mainly because she was busy excitingly telling him other things about Sapporo she had looked up when they had planned their trip.

The smile on her face was radiant, and it was something Ren was busy treasuring as she went on to describe the sights around the city she wanted to see.

After 6 long hours, they finally arrived in Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido. Ren and Sumire gathered their luggage and stepped off the lightning train onto the station platform. 

It was 2 PM now in the city, the sky was a brilliant blue with a few clouds that dotted the summer horizon. Together, the couple made their way out of the station gate and down to the transport area of the station, where busses and other public transport connected the station to other parts of the city.

“Which bus are we taking to the hotel?” Sumire asked Ren as they stopped at one of the nearby bus stations.

“Hm,” Ren quickly pulled out his phone and checked the travel guide that he and Morgana had researched together.

“Should be the one going to Shiroishi-Ku, that one I think,” Ren pointed to the next bus stop over from the one they were currently at.

There was already a queue of people waiting there as a white bus pulled into the stop.

“Right, let’s hurry then Ren!” Sumire said excitedly, grabbing his hand and pulling him along. 

Laughing slightly, he let himself be pulled along as they ran to the bus which was getting ready to leave.

* * *

The couple endured 30 minutes of additional bus travelling, passing by Sapporo city scenery which included plenty of Katsura trees along with tall office buildings.  
“I think that was Odori park!” Sumire exclaimed as the bus drove past a large park area.

“I believe so, let’s check it out after we check in to the hotel then,” Ren said, making a mental note in his head.

Finally, they arrived at their chosen hotel for the next two nights. 

Hotel Potmum Sapporo was a bright white building, with large glass windows on the outside that illuminated the interior for pedestrians who walked by the hotel.

Ren and Sumire had stepped off the bus station which was located 10 minutes from the hotel and walked the rest of the way, before coming to the front of the large hotel building.

They made their way inside the large spacious entrance hall, which was decorated with green potted plants, hanging warm lights and few landscape paintings of Hokkaido. 

A young man dressed in a very casual black uniform, with black hair and glasses greeted them at the desk as they made their way to the counter.

“Welcome to Hotel Potnum, is this a check in or a booking?” he asked them with a smile.

“A check in,” Ren said, pulling out his phone and showing the receptionist.

“One moment please,” he said, as he typed the display code from Ren’s online booking into the computer in front of him.

“1 large room, for Mister Ren Amamiya and Sumire Amamiya,” the receptionist asked back in confirmation as he finally found their booking on the system screen.

“That’s us,” Sumire whispered excitedly, feeling a slight shiver when she heard her name together with Ren’s last name.

Ren did his best to suppress a smile as he nodded at the receptionist, “Yes that’s us.”

“Pleasure to have you with us, Mr and Mrs Amamiya,” the receptionist replied back, he looked slightly bemused, “let me fetch your room keys, please wait a moment.”

Ren watched as the younger man went to the wall behind the desk and retrieved one of the hanging keys from the wall.

“Here you are, you are in room 406, please let us know if there is anything we can assist with.” 

He gave a short bow to them.

“We will, thank you very much” Sumire and Ren said in unison, by complete and utter coincidence. 

They stared at each other, then after smiling politely to the receptionist, they took the key and picked up their luggage once more, not saying a word.

As they walked past the desk and towards the elevator, Ren and Sumire both had to fight hard to hold back a laugh.

“Honestly, not the most embarrassing moment I’ve had,” Ren said, still suppressing his laugh.

Sumire giggled quietly as she held one hand to her mouth, “I can imagine, still, at least he knows we’re definitely partners.”

“I think everyone in the lobby knew sweetheart,” Ren pointed out, as they got on the elevator, and finally burst out laughing.

* * *

They arrived on the 4th floor of the hotel as the elevator dinged in confirmation. As the doors opened they were greeted by the sight of a large long corridor, with a dark blue carpet that stretched beyond the hall to rooms on each side of the hallway.

Making their way to room 406, the couple stopped short as Ren pulled out his keycard.

He opened the door and held it open for Sumire.

“After you Mrs Amamiya.”

“Why thank you, Mr Amamiya!”

Stepping into the room they saw it was a relatively large room, that was split off into 3 sections. The first was a dining/sitting room, with a TV and couch.

The second was the bedroom, with a king-sized bed, some dressed and a wardrobe for clothes.

And the third was the bathroom, complete with a bathtub and a shower.

The decor was modern, the walls were pure white, with warm lights hanging from the ceiling and wooden furniture that completed the aesthetic.

“Wow this is incredible,” Sumire exclaimed upon walking into the room.

“I sure hope so, certainly wasn’t cheap,” Ren replied, as he stepped into the hotel room after her.

“Well you do make a lot of money darling,” Sumire said, winking impishly at him. 

Exaggerating a heavy sigh, Ren said “Enough to support our ‘lavish’ lifestyle.”

They both shared a warm laugh before starting to unpack and put away their luggage. 

Sumire looked up at Ren after they had unpacked their clothes and put away their stuff for the night, “So what shall we do now?”

Ren looked up at the hanging clock on the wall, “Well it’s 3 PM, it’s a bit late for it but would you like to get something to eat?”

Almost on cue, Sumire’s stomach rumbled as if the mention of lunch was a trigger for her.

“Yes that would be lovely Ren,” she said, with faint blush.

“That’s settled then, I know the perfect place.”

Getting their wallets and phones, they made their way out of the hotel room and once again to the lobby of the hotel, with Ren leading the way.

“So where are we going?” Sumire finally asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

“Somewhere you’ll like, I’m sure of it,” he responded in a mysterious tone.

Grabbing Sumire’s hand, he led her to the bus stop, onto their next destination.

* * *

After getting on another bus, and taking a short 15 minute trip through the city, they stopped at a side street near Minami Jo-dori.

“Is it a hotpot place?” Sumire asked him.

“No, it is not,” her husband replied with a grin.

“What about sushi?”

“Not that either sweetheart.”

She had been questioning him what restaurant they were going throughout the whole bus trip. 

“Aw hmm, what else could it be…” she pondered, her head tilting side to side as she went through all the options in her head.

“You don’t have to guess anymore,” Ren said, “we’re here!”

He pointed to a medium sized shop, located on the side of the road. 

On the front of the shop was a large sign with the words “Shingen Ramen”.

“Ramen!?” she almost shouted out. 

“Well Hokkaido is known for their special Miso Ramen, I thought it would be the perfect meal to start off our honeymoon,” he explained to her, as they got closer.

Sumire nodded quickly, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek as she smiled, “It’s perfect Ren, now let’s go and order!”

Laughing, Ren and Sumire walked into the restaurant.

“Welcome!” one of the shop workers called out in the kitchen as they entered.

The ramen restaurant itself was mediumly sized, shaped like U, it had seats lined around the room with posters and prices listed on the walls. In the middle of the U shape was the kitchen area, where you could see the chefs preparing the ramen in front of your eyes if you sat near the central kitchen seats.

At the moment the show was half full with patrons busily eating their noodles or waiting on their order as they chatted with friends or checked their phones.

“Well what would you like?” Ren asked Sumire as they stopped in front of the large ordering machine near the entrance.

“Hmm, well since we’re here, let’s try their traditional Miso Ramen!”

“You read my mind,” Ren put in the order for two bowls of Miso Ramen, making sure Sumire’s bowl was large and his was medium sized. After paying, he retrieved the small ticket and gestured for Sumire to follow him.

They went over and took a seat near the kitchen side of the room to watch the chefs as they prepared the bowls of ramen with speed and grace.

“How did you come up with this idea?” she asked Ren as they sat and waited.

“Oh, Ryuji was the one who actually gave it to me, I was reading over his blog post on the different types of Ramen he had tried and he told me about Hokkaido and how some prefectures in Japan have different soup bases even though it's the same main ingredient.”

Sumire smiled, “I figured it had something to do with Ryuji, he never gave up his passion for ramen even after all these years.”

“Tell me about it, he has started getting into making his own, I had to try the first bowl.”

Ren tried his hardest not to shiver at the memory.

“What happened?” Sumire asked, her ruby eyes glinting with curiosity.

“Let’s just say Ryuji forgot he hadn’t labelled his salt and sugar containers…”

His wife burst into small cute giggles as Ren shook his head, remembering the weird sweet soup he had tasted at Ryuji’s apartment a few months ago.

Before long, their bowls of ramen arrived. Topped with slices of Chashu, some menma and seaweed, with golden noodles and a rich miso broth, Ren could understand why Ryuji was so crazy about this dish.

“Thank you for the meal!” Ren and Sumire said in unison before digging in.

Ren tasted the soup first with his spoon, feeling the rich but smooth flavor of the soup fill his mouth.

“Wow, this is incredibly good!”

He looked over at Sumire who was busy attacking the noodles.

“Uh uh, very much so!” she said after swallowing the noodles then quickly continuing to eat more. 

They enjoyed their meal and after finishing their bowls, they made their way out of the shop, feeling a cool breeze hit them as the sun had begun to set in the Sapporo sky.

“It’s around about 4:50 PM now,” Ren said after checking his phone.

“Oh, shall we check out Odori Park? I think the lights will have turned on by now and the festival will have started!”

“That’s going to be a pretty sight, shall we walk then?”

“Yes, lets!”

After checking and making sure he had his directions correctly, Ren took his wife’s hand and together they made their way to through the streets of Minami.

As they were walking, passing by city scenery of office buildings, small shops and other places, Ren began telling Sumire interesting facts about the city which he had learned in advance to try to impress her.

"Did you know, Sapporo first became world famous in 1972 when the Olympic Winter Games were held here since it was the first Winter Olympics held in Asia?"

Sumire looked at him curiously then smiled almost knowingly, she knew her husband liked to tell her facts about things to impress her. She privately suspected he had learnt the habit from the time he took coffee lessons from Sojiro and the old shop-owner would tell Ren facts about coffee and how learning them might impress girls.

“Hm, what's wrong Sumire?” he asked her, noticing the small smile on her face.

“Oh it's nothing dear, I just… didn’t know that, anything else you know about Sapporo?" she asked him, turning her ruby eyes on him and tilting her head.

Ren felt himself almost blush from the sudden direct attention his cute wife was now giving him.

"Oh uhm, of course! In context of the previous fact, the Sapporo snow festival is also one of the most culturally important festivals, and it was first held in 1950..."

Sumire smiled as Ren went on a tangent on the importance of winter in Sapporo. Holding his hand tightly, Sumire and her knowledgeable husband gradually made their way towards the park area of Odori.

* * *

The sun had begun its earnest descent into the horizon of the sky now, faint orange rays were all that remained of the bright floating orb as it began to dip further into the horizon.

The couple had arrived at Odori Park, a large green area that stretched about 1.5 km east to west in the heart of Sapporo city.

At the moment, a Summer Festival was in full swing. Lights, stalls and a crowd of people filled the large garden park.

Ren recalled the information he had read online about this festival.

“This festival only takes place during July and goes to early August,” he explained to Sumire as they walked up to the park entrance, following the large crowd in front of them.

“During this time the park transforms into a garden of food and drinks, with booths selling beer and other festival foods.”

Sumire nodded her eyes alight with excitement, “Yes! I did read about this actually Ren, I saw some pictures online and you can enjoy the festival food either on the tables and benches around the park or just on the green grass!”

“You did your research Mrs Amamiya,” Ren noted smiling at his wife.

“Can’t have you saying all the travel facts darling,” she replied back teasingly.

Sumire and Ren entered the park through the ‘front gate’, which was from the east side of the city. A large archway decorated with light greeted them as they stepped into the garden park.

A crowd of people were already assembled here as they made their way deeper into the park where the heart of the festival was located.

Sumire looked around them as they walked through the lit trees and plants, “Wow there are so many people here tonight!”

“The famous Sapporo Summer festival I assume, it’s beautiful,” Ren commented, as he looked around the lit park.

Lights of varying colors, from warm orange to light blue and pale red filled his eyes as they walked.

Festival music was playing somewhere in the park that echoed slightly from where they were.

“Come on Ren, let’s get something to eat, I want to try their Takoyaki!”

“Wait you’re hungry already!? Nevermind, stupid question…”

Dragging her husband along, Sumire dove into the crowd while holding tightly onto Ren’s hand.

They came to the ‘central’ area of the festival, where the stalls and entertainment was set up. Each stall was square in shape, with a central area in the middle where sellers would stand to either have equipment set up or their goods on display.

Sumire and Ren approached a stall that was decorated with small cut outs of Takoyaki and octopi which had a fairly decent line. 

“Two Takoyaki please!” Sumire said smiling at the stall owner when they got to the front of the line. A middle aged woman with dark brown hair that was tied up in a bun smiled at the red-haired girl.

“Of course dear, that will be 450 yen.”

Ren tried to pull out his wallet quickly but Sumire beat him and paid the owner, winking at her husband.

“Thank you! Will be just a moment!” The owner turned and began cooking the takoyaki.

“I could have paid that,” Ren noted, putting his arm around Sumire’s shoulders. 

“You could have but every once in a while it’s nice when I do the paying darling,” she answered him with a small grin.

Shaking his head, he couldn’t think of anything to say as the owner returned with 12 hot balls of takoyaki, all on a small paper basket.

“Thank you for the wait, please enjoy!” the owner said smiling at the young couple.

“Thank you!” 

“Let’s get something to drink as well then,” Ren suggested, pointing to a nearby stall which was selling beer and other drinks.

Sumire nodded happily “Sounds good!”

They went over and Ren ordered two Shigakogen beer, a very traditional slightly bitter festival beer from the seller and together the couple made their way over to a bench located a bit off from the central festival area that faced a pretty tree that was decorated with soft glowing lights that illuminated the nearby dark parts of the park.

Ren had finally located the source of the music, he could see a bit further from where they were a band was set up. The band consisted of some guitars, a piano and drums along with some very traditional instruments, including a Shamisen (traditional guitar), Kotsuzumi (smaller hand drum) and a Wadaiko (festival drum). 

After getting comfortable, Ren set the beers down on the side of the bench before Sumire and him both picked up one Takoyaki piece using the toothpicks the seller had given them.

Almost at the same time, they both put a piece in their mouth and chewed.

“Mhm hot hot!” was all Sumire said as she opened her mouth and fanned it from the hot Takoyaki.

“I almost forgot how hot fresh takoyaki is,” Ren said, coughing slightly after swallowing the delicious octopus ball and taking a quick drink of beer they had brought to help his burning tongue.

Ren handed Sumire her glass of beer and she took it gratefully, “It’s definitely delicious though,” she said after taking a long drink from her glass.

“Festival food always has been whenever we go,” Ren put the beers down again and picked up another ball of Takoyaki.

“Agreed!”

They took their time to enjoy the takoyaki, afterwards they sat together, side by side, just enjoying the atmosphere of the cool summer night, as the festival went on around them.

“It’s been a long time since we went to a festival, just the two of us,” Sumire said smiling at him.

A bright moment passed between them as Ren looked at her, a small smile playing on his own lips as well.

“It has... the last time we went alone was after I graduated from Shujin.”

Sumire nodded, smiling at her husband, “Yes, every other time we’ve always gone with the rest of our friends... I’m happy you remembered Ren.”

“Of course, every moment we spend together I never forget, at least I try not to,” he replied a bit sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

“You’re too charming, did you know that?” she fired back at him, taking his hand and placing it in her own.

Ren winked at her, “Who told you that?”

Sumire giggled, then she leaned her head on his shoulders. 

“I love you,” she said, as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of leaning on his body.

“I love you too,” he replied back without missing a beat. 

And so here they rested, enjoying the warm feeling of love they shared with each other and the comfort they had at this very moment, sitting somewhere in Odori park where most people would miss them completely.

After all, this time was reserved for just the two of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the end for this part!  
> Thank you for reading this, really means a lot, especially the comments you guys leave me!  
> Want to give a big shout out to Monkkind, for reading over my work, please check out his newest chapter for his story "The Future of Royal" which he just posted just now if you want more Sumire/Joker fluff with extra spice: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23806528/chapters/57196321  
> I'll try to get the next chapter done earlier, with classes for my university starting soon I will definitely be a bit short on time but please know that I will make time to write this story for you all!  
> Please look forward to more to come for part 2!  
> Till then <3


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